Getting Started from Stuck

Getting Started from Stuck
Words of Faith 10-9-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 16:1
[1] The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

Samuel was stuck. It is not even clear just how much time went by-- some scholars suggest it was a lengthy time. But Samuel was stuck mourning God's rejection of Saul as king. He understood the reasons better than anyone, but it was still very painful that what started with such hope and possibility had ended in bitter failure.
It was now time to get unstuck, to anoint Israel's new future, to take up the horn filled with oil, and to follow the Lord's leading to the new king. While the first king of Israel came in response to the people's demand mixed with divine choice, the anointing of Israel's second king and lasting royal line was wholly an act of God.
All this required Samuel to move on from the past. Samuel was deeply grieved by the ultimate failure of the leader he had first anointed to be the king of Israel. Why was Samuel so grieved? Certainly he was grieved personally by Saul's failure and the confusion among the people, but there was more. Anytime we pour ourselves into an endeavor for God, we can find ourselves deeply grieved when that dream dies. Samuel's hope for this young, tall, strong leader was now dashed.
Samuel had cried out before God for Saul. He had poured great energy, prayer, and devotion into mentoring Saul, but it was to no avail. Now it was time to move on.
There is a powerful reminder here that there is only One in whom we can place our hope and trust as sovereign and king. There is only One that will not fail us in some way. The problem with a human king is... well... he is human. The problem with human leaders is the same. In the end, people are frail vessels who can and will let us down. The heroes we try to build for ourselves, even in the world of the spirit and matters of faith, are still weak humans with feet of clay.
The best leaders are humble men and women who point us toward God. The only king that can function in the human realm is the one who is awestruck before God and listens clearly for the direction of the Lord. David was not perfect, but he was described as a man after God's own heart.
The other big lesson here is that we must move on from the place of disappointment. When leaders let us down, kings fail to follow the Lord, or those anointed with leadership misuse their gifts, we will be grieved... but we must move on. Saul had appeared to be the best and greatest hope for Israel-- tall, strong, and admired by everyone… but he was still just a man. He fit the worldly standard for a leader and had failed. It was now time to move on, no matter how difficult that was.
Have you been disappointed by a leader that you admired? Let down by an official or someone who spoke in the name of the Lord? Don't miss the fact that Jesus will never let you down. He will never leave you or forsake you. The Lord will not abandon you even when leaders let you down. The only way forward is to get unstuck and move ahead into the anointing of God.

Father God, help me put my faith in You. Help me set my sight upon You and trust the leaders You lift up without leaning on them too heavily. Help me forgive when I fail and get unstuck when I am disappointed. Help me move ahead into the anointing You have for the future. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.